


bear witness to salvation

by freethedoncastertwo



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2019)
Genre: Child Neglect, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Manga Spoilers, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-01 08:37:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20812226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freethedoncastertwo/pseuds/freethedoncastertwo
Summary: Yuki holds Shigure’s arm tightly as they hurry through the Sohma complex. Shigure surprises himself by holding him right back. No one has ever depended on him like this before. And now that Shigure is actually doing this, his heart is racing. Yuki is starting to wheeze. Shigure whispers to him that he has an inhaler in his car. It’s just a little further now.-(Shigure kidnaps Yuki. Or maybe he rescues him. Or maybe Yuki is the one that rescues Shigure. Or maybe it's a little bit of both.)





	bear witness to salvation

**Author's Note:**

> I could probably spend hours discussing Shigure and his motivations, and Yuki is my favourite character, so naturally the story of Yuki coming to live with Shigure is the most interesting pre-series event to me. I've tried to go along with the little bits of information we're given about it in canon, which means that there will be manga spoilers.  
Enjoy!

It’s an odd request. Shigure has never considered himself to be the kind of person that you would ask for a favour. He isn’t reliable and he sure as hell isn’t interested. But it is he, Shigure, that Haru approaches that day. And it is he, Shigure, that finds himself listening.

  
Shigure is lounging around on the balcony when quiet footsteps approach him. He look up from his book to see Haru’s serious little face.

  
“Hello, Haru-chan! What’s on your mind?” Shigure likes kids, honestly. Especially Haru, with his unassuming nature and surprisingly quick temper.

  
“I need to ask you to do something.” Haru’s voice is low and urgent. Maybe he’s playing an interesting game.

  
“Sure,” Shigure says easily. “What’s up?”

With a straight face, Haru says, “I want you to take Yuki to live with you.”

  
Shigure splutters. Haru’s eyes bore into him. He’s not joking.

  
Slowly, carefully, Shigure closes his book. He shuffles to sit up straighter. “Haru,” Shigure hedges. “I can’t just _decide_ Yuki’s going to live with me and _take_ him. Where he lives is… like... adult business.”

  
Haru huffs, looking like he wanted to explain something but doesn’t quite know how. “You _are_ an adult. You’re the only adult who can help him.”

  
Shigure raises an eyebrow. “Help him how?”

  
“Rescue him. He’s trapped. He’s hurt. He’s sick. He’s wasting away in that room.”

  
Shigure doesn’t fully understand what Haru is talking about, but there’s something in Haru’s tone that compels Shigure to contemplate the idea. A note of desperation. Tense lines on his young face. Shigure lets his imagine run for a second. Maybe Shigure could just... _borrow _Yuki for a while. Just to assess the boy’s situation for himself; just to check if there’s any weight to what Haru is saying.

  
Shigure puts his book down. “Okay, I’ll tell you what. I’ll take Yuki to live with me, if you call me Sensei from now on.”

  
Haru bows his head. “Thank you, Sensei.”

  
Shigure nods. “I need to snoop around a bit so I can figure out a good time to do it. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

  
“I’ll tell Yuki,” Haru says. Then he scampers off, leaving Shigure to mull over the strange conversation they’ve just had. Is he going to follow through with it? Maybe. It could be fun.

-

Shigure spends the next few days snooping around, scoping out his goal. He tells himself he’s not actually going to do it – that he’s just playing along until Haru forgets the matter. But the reality is that he’s already decided. Nothing interested has happened around the Sohma estate in quite a while. This could add a bit of fun back into his life, and at the very least it could capture Akito’s attention. Besides, he might be doing a good deed while he’s at it.

So in no time at all, Haru becomes his tiny co-conspirator. The boy starts nodding at him in hallways and dutifully calling him sensei. Shigure notices that Yuki’s parents never come by, and that Yuki doesn’t leave Akito’s playroom except to go to school and use the bathroom. Shigure only catches glimpses of him. He’s a despondent-looking kid. All of this information goes into Shigure’s brain and comes out in the form of a plan. He waits until Thursday, when most of the inner house Sohmas are out doing one thing or another. He walks past Haru in the hallway and catches his eye. Haru stops and looks up at him.

  
“I’m doing it tonight,” Shigure murmurs.

  
Haru nods. “He’ll be ready.”

  
Shigure hesitates. Akito has a temper, there’s no denying that. How shall he word this? He’s probably being silly, but there’s no harm in warning Haru, just in case. “Listen. If anyone asks, this was my idea only, okay? Akito can’t know that you were involved.”

  
Haru nods firmly. “Got it.” He studies Shigure, looking far too serious and far too perceptive for a boy of twelve. But then, the Sohmas are all a weird bunch, aren’t they? “Thank you, Sensei,” he says.

Shigure smiles and ruffles Haru’s hair. A chill runs down his spine, like maybe he’s messing with something bigger than he understands. But hey, isn’t that the fun of it?

-

It’s 8:06pm. Akito is upstairs, being lectured by her mother. Hatori is out attending to some patients. The maids are in the laundry room, Kureno is off probably gazing moodily into a lake somewhere, and this wing of the house is scarce. Shigure’s ready. This is his moment.

Shigure creeps down the hallway and approaches Akito’s playroom. He’s technically not allowed inside it. Akito doesn’t allow anyone inside except Yuki and occasionally the maids. But Shigure has seen Haru and Rin sneaking in and out from time to time. So he knows it’s not booby-trapped or anything.

Shigure knocks softly on the door. Then he slides it open.

Shigure inhales quickly as he surveys the room.

This is... not what he was expecting. He knew that Akito liked to keep Yuki on a tight leash, that’s why she uses this room, but... Why does it look like this? Threadbare, painted black, with the window open just a sliver. Yuki is sitting limply beside it. His clothes hang loosely off his thin frame and dark circles hang under his eyes. Yuki looks at him dully. Not for the first time, Shigure holds serious doubts about these people he calls family.

  
Smiling to show that nothing is amiss, Shigure approaches the boy. “Hello,” he greets, trying to sound friendly. “I’ve got a fun game idea. How would you like to come and stay with me for a bit?”

  
Shigure doesn’t know what prompts Yuki to trust him, then. Sure, this is Haru’s plan, but Yuki has no way of knowing if Shigure will be kind. Still, Yuki’s hand shoots out and grabs Shigure. His hand is icy. “Take me with you,” Yuki rasps. “Get me out of here.”

Shigure nods. He doesn’t know what to say. Yuki pulls his schoolbag out from underneath a small table, and Shigure can see that is has been hastily stuffed full like a travel bag. Yuki hefts his bag onto his back and scurries to Shigure’s side. Shigure grips Yuki’s hand. He pops his head out the door. The coast is clear. He hurries out the door and Yuki stumbles after him.

Yuki holds Shigure’s arm tightly as they hurry through the Sohma complex. Shigure surprises himself by holding him right back. No one has ever depended on him like this before. And now that Shigure is actually doing this, his heart is racing. Yuki is starting to wheeze. Shigure whispers to him that he has an inhaler in his car. It’s just a little further now.

Shigure leads Yuki out into the garden. His car is waiting around the corner. He keeps expecting to hear angry shouts or even an alarm. But nothing happens. Shigure reaches his car and opens the passenger door. Yuki scrambles in. Shigure closes the door, locks it and gets into the driver’s side. He starts up the engine and drives quietly until they get outside the inner house’s main gate. Then he speeds up. He bounces his leg in his seat and doesn’t stop until the Sohma estate is far behind them.

Shigure exhales heavily. This whole time, he’s barely had a chance to really look at Yuki. So now he does. The boy is clinging tightly to his schoolbag. His face is carefully still. He gazes unseeingly out the window. He seems exhausted by their little escapade, even though they could only have walked 500 metres at most.

“Do you want to drive?” Shigure offers. Yuki only shrugs, looking at him apprehensively. That is not a normal reaction, surely. Any kid would be ecstatic at the chance to drive a car. It’s starting to dawn on Shigure that this is a seriously ill child. Where are his parents? Shigure has always figured that whatever Yuki is involved in with Akito, it must be okay, because his parents are allowing it. But no. This is not okay.

-

Shigure brings Yuki back to his own house and sets up a futon for him in the living room. He makes hot chocolate. Finally, when Yuki is safe and settled, Shigure allows himself to panic.

God, this is so illegal. He’s kidnapping a child. He’s going to get thrown in jail at the age of twenty-five. But it’s starting to look like this kid’s whole life is a jail.

Okay. Think, Shigure, think. Who can he call? Not Hatori. Definitely not his parents. Maybe Ayame? Ayame’s a loudmouth, sure, but he _is _Yuki’s brother. He’s also surprisingly quick on his feet in emergency situations. Shigure isn’t classifying this as an emergency, not yet, but it’s definitely something.

Shigure takes out his phone and dials Ayame’s number. Ayame picks up after the fourth ring. “Hello, hello!”

“Hi, it’s Shigure.”

“Oh, darling,” Ayame exclaims. “How wonderful that you called! I was just thinking about you! I have these blue roses that would look marvellous with your complexion.”

“Aya, shush for a second. Can you come over?” Shigure whispers. His heart is pounding hard.

  
“What? Why?” Ayame demands.

  
“Just - come over. You’ll understand when you get here. Come alone and don’t tell _anyone _you’re coming, okay? Not Hatori and not Mine. Just you.”

  
Ayame giggles. “Okay. I’ll be over in half an hour.” He clearly thinks something adventurous is afoot, which is fine for now. There’s no way Shigure can explain this over the phone.

-

Shigure paces at the front door until Ayame arrives. He’s half-scared that Ayame will have told someone, or worse, _brought_ someone. But a taxi pulls up in the driveway and Ayame steps out of it alone.

“Shigure!” Ayame cheers. He runs over and hugs him. Shigure accepts the hug gratefully. Then he beckons Ayame through the door. The taxi leaves.

  
“I need to show you something,” Shigure whispers.

  
“What?” Ayame whispered excitedly back as he steps into the house. “Why are we being quiet? Are there hookers?”

  
“What? No! Listen, I did something.”

  
Ayame stares at him impatiently. “_What._”

  
“It’s... well, it’s better if I just show you.”

  
Shigure ushers Ayame into the living room and gestured at the futon, with Yuki huddled in the centre of it.

  
“What the fuck?!” Ayame shrieks, making Yuki jump. “You took my brother?!”

  
“Well, yeah.”

  
“You can’t just _take_ a_ child_. We_ have_ to tell Hatori.”

  
Shigure waves his hand at Ayame, trying to shush him. “No, no. Just... we can’t tell Hatori about this, okay? Not yet.”

  
Ayame frowns. “Why?”

  
Before tonight, Shigure firmly believed that he could trust Hatori with anything. Anything at all. Shigure trusts Hatori with his life. But not with this. No. he doesn’t trust him with this.

“He’s too compliant. To Akito. He’ll do whatever she wants. He’ll make us give Yuki back.”

  
Ayame stares at him in shock. In a low voice, he murmurs, “Are you... saying that you don’t intend to give him back?”

  
Shigure shrugs. “I can’t.”

  
“Why not?”

  
Shigure gestures helplessly at Yuki. “Because... well, just _look_ at him.”

  
Ayame swivels his head to study his brother in detail for the first time.

  
“Something’s wrong,” Shigure says softly. “Can’t you tell?”

  
Yuki can hear everything they’re saying, but he doesn’t speak. Instead he hugs the blanket tighter around himself and watches them glumly.

  
Ayame swallows. “Okay,” he says after a long pause. “We won’t tell Hatori about this. For now.”

  
Shigure sighs in relief. “Thank you.”

  
Ayame’s eyebrows draw upwards. “Holy shit, what are we going to do about his medicine? Shigure, he can’t breathe without it.”

  
“I know. I bought a few inhalers.”

  
“Okay.” Ayame nods. “I could try to bring over some of his school things. This could work.” He starts twirling his hair in his fingers, which Shigure knows is his sign that he’s puzzling over something.

  
“What will you tell your parents when they find out?”

  
Ayame chews his lower lip. “I’ll convince them that it’s what Akito wants.”

  
Shigure nods. “Should he maybe go back to living with them instead?”

  
“_No,_” Ayame says quickly. When Shigure raises an eyebrow at him, he smiles. “Ah, no. He’s better off staying with you.”

-

And then it’s done. Shigure and Ayame coordinate it like it’s a uni project, not a pseudo-adoption of a traumatised child. But they do it. Akito finds out, of course. Hatori shows up one morning with a frown on his face and stern orders for Shigure to give Yuki back. Yuki overhears them arguing and goes to cower in the linen closet. Both men notice.

“Just look at him.” Shigure hisses. “Do you really think he deserves to go back there? Do you want to be the one to make him? Think for yourself for once.” He sees the guilt sweep over Hatori’s face. He sees his words strike Hatori like a dagger. And he knows that Yuki is safe. From Hatori, at least.

Hatori leaves empty-handed. Yuki tiptoes out of his hiding place. “You’re not sending me back to Akito?’ he whispers.

Shigure flicks his nose. “Not a chance, buddy. We’re in this together.”

-

They fall into a simple routine. It’s school holidays, which makes things easier. Ayame brings Yuki’s belongings over bit by bit. Shigure works on his book while Yuki sits in the next room. But Yuki is still sickly. His asthma still flares up often. Shigure helps him bathe, because he’s scared of Yuki fainting in the bathtub and drowning. Yuki is still quiet and confined to himself, but he allows Shigure to help him without protest.

It’s one night, during bath time, that Shigure begins to feel like Yuki is really communicating with him.

Yuki seems to like the bath temperature hotter than Shigure would like it. Shigure slowly cups water in his hands and drips it over the boy’s head, rinsing out the shampoo.

  
“I want to help you,” Shigure murmurs. “I don’t know if I can, but I’m going to try.”

  
Yuki doesn’t meet his eyes, but he gives a tiny nod.

  
“I also don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” Shigure admits. “I’m not much older than a kid either. So sorry if I fuck up. I suppose we could send you to live with your brother, but I reckon he’d have even less of a clue.”

  
Yuki’s shoulders tense a bit when Shigure mentions Ayame.

  
“No? Fair enough. He is a bit much, isn’t he?”

  
Yuki smiles just a tiny bit. Success.

  
“Hey, listen,” Shigure says. “I heard you nearly died a couple of years ago. From your asthma. Try not to die while you’re living here, okay?”

  
Yuki mouths “I won’t.”

  
“Oh, and... I’ve got plenty of money. So whatever you need, school stuff and whatever. Don’t hesitate to ask.”

  
Yuki nods.

  
“Oh! And enrolling in a new school will be easy. Ayame brought me your birth certificate and some other forms. He said it wasn’t even hard to convince your parents to give them to him.”

  
Yuki just nods again.

  
“Are you getting tired? You look tired. I talk a lot if no one else is talking and I don’t know what to say.”

  
“Sorry,” Yuki whispers after grappling with his voice for a moment.

  
“It’s okay. Slow progress is still progress.” Shigure helps Yuki out of the bath and wraps a big, fuzzy towel around him.

Yuki lingers near him for a moment. He whispers a quick _“thank you.”_ Then he scampers away to his new bedroom. He leaves the door open just a sliver.

“Good night,” Shigure calls.

“Good night,” Yuki replies in his tiny, hopeful voice.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I intend to add more chapters. :)
> 
> The title is a line from Winter Light by Linda Ronstadt.


End file.
